Press release
Minister Heydon relaunches the National Farm Safety Measure
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for farm safety, Martin Heydon, today announced the reopening of the National Farm Safety Measure.
The National Farm Safety Measure 2024 will provide a financial contribution to participating farmers covering 60% of the eligible cost of Power Take Off (PTO) shaft covers.
Launching the measure during Farm Safety Week 2024, Minister Heydon said:
"I am reopening the National Farm Safety Measure to help protect farmers and everyone involved in operating PTO-powered equipment from serious and fatal injuries. This measure will support farmers in the purchase of new PTO shaft covers. Unsafe practices must be addressed and through this measure I am raising awareness of the risks posed by operating PTO powered machinery that have defective or missing PTO shaft covers”.
Over the past decade (2014 – 2023), farm vehicles and machinery accounted for over half of all fatalities on farms. Entanglement in PTO shafts has caused fatalities and life-changing injuries on Irish farms.
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 places a legal obligation on farmers to ensure that plant and machinery are safe and without risk to health.
The Minister added:
“Farmers are required to maintain a Farm Safety Code of Practice risk assessment. As part of Farm Safety Week, I am urging farmers to review their farm safety risk assessment and identify any hazards on the farm, including defective or damaged PTO shaft covers. There are unique hazards attached to farming, but by identifying and putting steps in place to mitigate the, we can reduce the risks on farms.”
The Farm Safety Measure will be funded from the National Exchequer. The Measure will be open from 24 July 2024 to 01 November 2024 on www.agfood.ie.
The maximum amount of aid under the measure is for four PTO shaft covers. The grant aid will be at a rate of 60% subject to a maximum eligible cost of €100 per PTO shaft cover. Farmers who applied for grant aid under the National Farm Safety Measure 2023 are also eligible for this measure.
For further information on the National Farm Safety Measure 2024 go to www.gov.ie/farmsafety.
ENDS
Image 1: L to R: Darren Atkins, Health and Safety Authority, Martin Heydon T.D, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Farm Safety, Professor Frank O Mara , Teagasc Director
Image 2: L to R: Darren Atkins, Health and Safety Authority, Martin Heydon T.D, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Farm Safety, Professor Frank O Mara , Teagasc Director
Image 3 : Martin Heydon T.D, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Farm Safety